Inhalation apparatus



Maiy 28, 1940. H. LEHMANN 2202701 INHALATION APPARATUS Fi led Dec. 13, 1939 INVE/VTR. ERBERT LEHMAAW WM Patented May 28, 1940 UNHED STATES INHALATION APPARATUS Herbert Lehmann, Hampstemd, London, England, assignor to Ra'ddell Products Limited, London, England, a British company Application Decembei 13, 1939, Serial N0. 309,089 4 In United Kingdom December 22, 1938 6 Claims. (C1. 12s1s5) l Thisirivention relates 110 inhalation apparatus and has particular reference to a type of inhaler comprising a hand bulb or other means for compressing air, leading 130 the jet 01' nozzle of a spray producer situated in a container for and adapted to spray inhaling medicaments, which containeris in turn connected with a mouthpiece or mask adapted to be held close to the users mouth and nose.

In this type of inhalation apparatus liquid is inserted into the container through an aperture orfilling orificein the well thereof and this aperhure also serves as the requisite inlet for air which is re quired in addition 1:0 the air pumped in from the hand bulb or other source of pressure. When the apparatus is not in use thi's aperture has to be closed with a suitable cork or' rubber stoppe'r so as to prevent the escape of inhalation liquid. Moreover when the known type of' apparatus is not in use the mask and its adjacent parts have to be haken oft and a plug or Stopper inserted in the vapour outlei; if escape of inhalation liquid is to be prevented when the apparatus is turned from the vertical position.

This aperture and 'stopper method is somewhat cumbersome and it is the object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus not sufi'ering from this defect and having other advantages as will be seen from the following description.

It is a further object cf this invention to provide fool-proof apparatus in whioh the filling orifice cannot be left open when vi;he apparatus is in its nun-operative position.

One particular example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanylng drawing which is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus in its operative position.

In the apparatus illustrated the compressed air passes into the apparatus through a taube a coming either from the hand bulb or daher source of supply. It passes through a cork or screw stopper b intothe air jet c which is usually of glass with a fine outlet. This air jet c supports the liquid jet d by means of a branch support. The inhalation liquid is inserted into the coutainer e and when the oontainer is held upright in its operative position the liquid falls to the bottom as ab ;f.

In the apparatus as at preseni; known'an aparture such as that shown in dotted lines at g is made in the container and this acts as an inlet through which the liquid f can be inserted and is also left open while the apparatus is in use. A downwardly depending sleeve h is supported from the top of the receptacle e and acts as a barrier causing any ai1 which-enters a1: g 130 pass firsl:

downwardly around the outside of the sleeve h and then upwardly, passing past the jets of c and d and picking' up the spray issuing therefrom.

-In the apparatus as atpresent known a mask -such as o is removably carried by the receptacle e and is connected thereto by vapour passages. When the apparatus is noo in use this mask is iemoved and the passage plugged by a stoppen In the improved apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, however, the head of the inhaler comprises a fixed outer sleeve 1 screwed to the top of the receptacle e. A rotatable inner hollow tube k fits within this sleeve 1' with a liquid tighi; joint and turns within it. The tube k is centrally drilled with passage n leading to the inhalation mask o, the inner end of passage n being connected to the air or vapour passage p by a radially drilled passageq;

In this improved apparatus made in accordance with this invention the aperture shown in dotted lines at g moreover does noo exist but its plane is taken by the filling orifice 1' which is formed in a cap screwed. to the end of the tube k and turning therewith. The filling orifice leads 110 the hollow centre s of the tube k.

'Ihe central passage n of the tube k is inter- -rupted by a division t making the portion of -i:he

passage s separate from the passage n. A connecting passage u drilled radially runs parallel with the passage q and connects the filling orifice r through passages s and. v to the inside of the container e ab a point outside the sleeve h.

In use the air passes up the tube a to the jet c thereby inducing liquid to pass up jet d and be thereupon vaporized. The spray passes up the passage p and at the Same time a parisial vacuum is caused in the container e outside the sleeve h. Air is thereupon drawn in through the filling orifice 1' through passages s, u and 22 giving a stream o-f air passing downwardly around the sleeve h and upwardly with the vapourized liquid. The air thus carrying vapour passes up passage p through passage q into passage m and out to the users mask o.

When it is desired to fill the apparatus this can be done easily through filling orifice r. When the apparatus is not in use themaskois revolved preferably through half a revolution and there upon passage q no longer coincides with passage p and passage u no langer co-incides with passage v and thus a complete seal to the container e is obtained (except through the jet e which is so small as to be negligible) and i;he whole apparatus becomes liquid-tight without the necessity for any stopper.

An advantage of this construction is that it immediately appears to the user whether the apparatus is open or not by looking at the position of the inhalation mask. Moreover if the apparatus is hold in its normal upright position the user Would not try to insert liquid When the holes u and v do not coincide since it is only when these passages do coincide that the filling orifice points upwardly and is thus adapted to receive liquid.

It is preferable in the construction that the sleeve h is formed in one with the sleeve y or is fixed thereto.

In practioe it rnay be found desirable to m'ake the vapour passage leading from the top of the recep-tacle to the mask crve upwardly in the manner of a swans neck.

I claim:

1. Inhalation apparatus comprising an air compressor, a jet of a spray producer, a conduit to lead the compressed aix from the compressor to the jet, a container for the'liqid to be sp-rayed, s aid container having a spray outlet and an orifice additional thereto which serves both as a filling orifice and as an air inlet and common means for simultaneously closing both the spray outlet and the additional orifice when desired.

2. Inhalation apparatus comprising an air compressor, a jet of a spray producer, a conduit to lead the compressed air from the oompressor t0 the jet, a container for the liquid to be sprayed, said container' having a spray outlet and an orifice additional thereto which serves both as a; filling orifice and as an air inlet and interconnected means for simultaneously closing both the spray outlet and the additional orifice when desired.

3. Inhalation apparatus ot mprising an air compressor, a jet of a spray producer, a conduit k to lead the compressed air fromthe compressor to the Jet, a container for the liquid to be sprayed, said container having a spray outlet and an orifice additional thereto which serves both as a filling orifice and as an air inlet and a common tap for simultaneously closing both thespray outlet and the additional orifice vvhen' desined.

4. Inhalation apparatus comprising an air compressor, a jet of a spray producer, a conduit t0 lead the compressed air from the compressor v to thejet, a container for the liquid to be sprayed,-

said container having a spray outlet and an orifice additional th6reto which serves both as a filling orifice and as an air inlet and a spray carrying tube rotatably mounted in the apparatus and provided with orifices so positioned that upon the tube being rotated to one of two alternative positio-ns thespray outlet and the filling orifice are each open to the liquid receptaple and upon the tube being r0tated to the other of the alternative positions the spray outlet and the filling orifice areeach sealed.

5. Inhalation apparatus as clairned in claim 4 in Which an inhalation mask is so fixed to the rotatable tube that upon the mask being in its operative position wheh hold to the fa'ce of the user' the spray outlet and the combined 'air'inlet and filling orifice are each open to the liquid receptacle.

6. Inhalation apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the filling orifice is so positione'd in the rotatable spray carrying tube that it is only upon the rotatable tubebeing turn'd' the position;

opening the filliiig orifice and the apparatus being hold in the operative position that the filling orifice faces upwa rdly and=allowg gravity ingress of liquid.

HERBERT 

